Positive or negative expectations about circumstances, events, or people that may affect a persons behavior toward them in a manner that he or she (unknowingly) creates situations in which those expectations are fulfilled.

In other words, causing something to happen by believing it will come true

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Example 1:An employer sees a new employee and automatically expects him to be disloyal. The employer then treats the employee in a way to elicit the very response he concluded.

Example 2: Labeling someone a "criminal," and treating that person as such, may foster criminal behavior in the person who is subjected to the expectation, thus creating a self fulfilling prophecy

A "prophecy" in which you become something you are told. For example, if you're told you're ignorant, evil, and stupid, you will grow up to be that way because you believed it.

Self-fulfilling prophecy is the reason that many blacks, NOT ALL but many, are criminals.....because of the way they brought themselves up. Self-fulfilling prophecies are especially quite common with Generation Y.

"I refuse to acknowledge self-fulfilling prophecies. I'd rather be myself, and not be like common thugs who become what they are told."
-me